CD Review

You would never guess that the late Elliot Smith was battling his most inner demons during the recording of his now posthumous album, From A Basement On The Hill. But than again, Smith has always been profound at disguising his depression and cryptic visions through his catchy Beatlesque melodies. Although thrown into the category of the Miserablists with Nick Drake, Joy Division and The Cure, its almost like Smith, knew prior to his October 2003 death at age 34 from stab wounds, that his pain would somehow be doused.

Although 1998’s profound XO is regarded as Smith’s prime work, From A Basement On The Hill is certainly already up there with his best. Originally intended as a double album, these fifteen tracks contain more of Smith’s memorable melodies and foreboding lyrics.

The opener “Coast To Coast” is a bright opener with sun soaked vocals alongside a dizzying guitar drone. In “Strung Out Again,” Smith sings “The tide's coming in/And I'm strung out again” which is a dire forewarning from the saddened artist. The stark confessional “Twilight” rubs against the appealing “Memory Lane” which is rich in 60’s folk and gives the album an added breath of diversity. From A Basement On The Hill scratches many surfaces and emotions, that make his album accessible to almost all fans of the singer/songwriter genre.

Although for fans looking to curl their sorrows into Smith’s humanistic self-pity will likely not find as much comfort in From A Basement On The Hill, as in other Elliott Smith albums. I kind of think Smith would have liked it that way, just to mess with everyone who never truly understood him. Perhaps maybe there was a spark of hope beneath the despondent and pained exterior.